Pittsburgh's 28 Year Old Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, Wants City To Back Hillary

Clinton may be in an uphill battle with Barack Obama for the youth vote, but she does have one young and key backer for the Pennsylvanian primary: Luke Ravenstahl, the 28 year old Mayor of Pittsburgh. The Washington Post reports:

At 28, the youngest big-city mayor in modern U.S. history has become one of Clinton's key backers in Pennsylvania, her top surrogate in its second-largest city and an effective rejoinder to the idea that Sen. Barack Obama, her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, has a lock on young voters in the state.

A former football place kicker at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa., Ravenstahl, a Democrat, won a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council at age 23 and became the default council president two years later when rival factions could not agree on any other leader. In 2006, Mayor Bob O'Connor died of brain cancer, and Ravenstahl, then 26, by law became his successor.

Read more about Ravenstahl on his government bio page.

Read about how Hillary is polling in Pennsylvania.

Comments

[DoAsISay]

video from Elton John's fundraiser for hillary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cAc1mxnCyE

[ratmandu]

Yes, the incredible boy mayor has followed in the footsteps of Governor Rendell. In addition to Ravenstahl, we in Allegheny County have the president of our county commission promoting Ms. Clinton. Keep in mind that next to Florida, Allegheny county has one of the highest rates of retirees in the country. These men know who is voting for them in this county. I happen to be a middle aged? (46) year old woman supporting Barack Obama. I have several peers astonished (!!) that I would support someone who is...(honestly, these people have college educations....) "a Moslem" and "unexperienced". I have been asked by women my age and older how I can support a man. I feel like I am talking to the wall when I explain that Mr. Obama's anti-war policies are stronger than Mrs. Clinton's. I tell them about Mrs. Clinton's lies and my concerns about how this could transfer to the presidency. These same people, so upset over the Bush administration's lies, tell me that it's not the same for Mrs. Clinton. I talk about Mr. Obama's commitment to not take money from lobbyists. They don't seem to hear anything and look at me as if I have 2 heads. Yes folks, this is the world of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania. I can only hope that with Mrs. Clinton's gaffes concerning NAFTA and Mr. Penn's connections to Colombia that union members in Allegheny county will support Barack Obama.

[Tulka2]

It is not at all surprising young Mayor Ravenstahl backs Clinton. Dems are divided between two paradigms. The old one is top down government. The new is a bottom-up campaign funded, not by corporations, but by two million ordinary people. The mayor buys into the old party machinary. How else do you suppose he got to be Mayor of Pittsberg except by the party machine? Tell you what. If the Obama campaign wins, we have the Republic back. Because it's not just about Obama. The fact is, post-Obama, and if we can get a Net Neutrality bill passed, the political parties will be a thing of the past. The young Ravenstahl clings to the party because it is all he knows. Even the young can be old.

[josephjsalas]

Oh C-mon! He's looking for an Internship!

[CGrace]

When I heard that the Mayor has endorsed Hillary, I thought Rendell had probably put the squeeze on him and Mayor Nutter. And then Rendell says that the white voters in PA won't vote for a black man. These Clinton surrogates are always pushing the race card. It's really sad.

[Hotshortie]

Who cares who the mayor is backing? Let's Ba Rack Pittsburgh!!!!!! Let's BaRack and ROLL!!!!

Come on Pittsburgh!!!!!

Let's turn it out for OBAMA!!!!!!!!!

Go Bama!!! Go Bama !!! Go Bama !!!

[SEQUOIABISON]

The mayor must be on the witness protection list of the Clinton folks.
Why would a young intellectual support Hillary? Why?

What is his justification for supporting someone who did not display good judgment when it came to getting us into a nasty quagmire war and is now beginning to destroy our economy??

[Taratrue]

OH Good Judgement??

Like supporting a racist like Wright? Like sitting in a church listening to hate speech for 20 years??

OH SURE

[eridees]

Link please?.....chirp...chirp...chirp.... This comment, my friends is the result of an under funded education system: The inability to form rational opinions based on facts instead of sound bites. No wonder Bush got re-elected.

[LAJonathan]

Tara, you forgot the word "pew" in your speech. What has been instructed as appropriate dialog regarding what you are trying to say is this: "sitting in a PEW for 20 years listening to hate speech" - that's the approved message. When are you going to get it right? huh?!

[Obama2008]

Rendell has threatened all local officials by saying that he will cut funding to them if they do not get on board with him in endorsing Hillary.

Money talks.

[tcpgh]

I suspect you're right, but do you have any proof? It would be great if it's exposed before the primary.

[Taratrue]

Good. Save the country now/ No matter what it takes.

[Dalpine]

They to intimidate and buy votes for Hillary in Pittsburg? Sad

[AreYouFibbing]

Go Mayor Ravenstahl....thanks!!

[WWJD2]

I'm from Pgh too. I wonder how many people will follow Bush (oops I mean Obama) the pied piper to a loss in November. Sorry, I just want someone intelligent again in the oval office and Hillary fits the bill. Obama doesn't quite cut it .

[pureproductofamerica]

I've heard a lot of criticisms of Obama, but "unintelligent" is probably the wackiest.

[k6007]

Consider the source.

[Demsneed2win]

Obama does not cut it at all. He is scarey.

[jsomerville5]

If you are going to lob personal attacks at Obama, at least learn to spell: it's "scary" , not "scarey."

[k6007]

No, what kind of Ivy League grad fails the bar right out of school?.....oh..wait.....

[Dalpine]

More Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton dividing the country is scary

[PTTY]

Can you imagine Hillary screaming at Obama after she sent mailers that were complete lies.

Hillary used NAFTA GATE TO WIN OHIO and Rush's Repugs Votes of over 100,000 in Ohio

Trying to Heal a Rift in New Hampshire

By Alec MacGillis

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/18/trying_to_heal_a_rift_in_new_h_1.html

Three New Hampshire Democratic leaders who signed a letter two days before the state's primary at the request of
Hillary Clinton's campaign, attacking Barack Obama as soft in his support for abortion rights, are asking Obama supporters in the state to put the rifts of the primary campaign behind them and praising Obama for being "strongly pro-choice."

[biffer]

The Ravenstahl administration has a new scandal........
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08100/871676-100.stm

[MPeter]

What a little twit. He had better get on with the peoples' program. The people want inspiration, unity, accountability and to end the war. Not more corruption, more war and more polarization. The mayor needs to get on with the program or be driven out of town.

[Taratrue]

Threatening is the Obama zombie style.

[jerryp]

Perhaps the mayor should do a bit of research into the HC story. Read Edward Klein's book, "The Truth About Hillary." Once you do, you may have the courage to withstand the pressures from the old-timers who have years-long ties to Bubba and the self-annointed one. Think for yourself, young man; and think critically.

[Demsneed2win]

He has. What a bright young man!
I bet his preacher does DAMN AMERICA!

[JosephGapp]

http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/48373
The above link goes to Obama's biggest supporter-Oprah. check it out and check out his brotherly love. Obama in a limo no less...oh my!

[DietrichMoody]

Something tells me, this 28 year old is doing exactly what the Adults are telling him to do, you know the Democratic Party Establishment with the money and the threats (i.e, the ones threatening Nancy Pelosi) . This particular mayor wants to have a career in the Democratic Party. So he has to do what the Party elders tell him to do. Same with the young Philadelphia mayor, young San Fran mayor, and new Los Angeles mayor. All these mayors are backing Hillary, and the Democratic Party establishment, because they want to have a future in the Democratic Party, and if Hillary looses all these others giving money to the party will still be around. The money that these mayors want, in their future political endeavors. Its all about whose is buttering your bread.

[Demsneed2win]

DUH....its about loving their country and wanting a President who can save it from the Idiots like you.

[k6007]

Insults, and no substance. Hillary voter I presume?

[Billar]

I am from Pittsburgh and I'm voting for Obama. Our Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is a sock puppet of Governor Ed Rendell. Governor Rendell is a DLC toady.

[tcpgh]

Exactly! It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out how the phone call went between Ravenstahl and Rendell before the Mayor publicly endorsed Hillary -- lots of threats and promises.

[ChrisS13]

Yes you Obama drones are correct, every person that supporters HRC is talked into it and has alterior motives, while those who support Obama because he's just groovy and has a magic wand to fix all our problems. You all sound like very sick and twisted human beings. Hopefull you won't have too long of a handover after you wake up from your kool aid stupper.

[tcpgh]

I'm from Pittsburgh (which is what the "pgh" in my user ID stands for), but I can't wait to cast my vote for Obama in a couple of weeks!

[AdLib]

Many thanks from many here!

[Demsneed2win]

One vote.
WOW!

[pghdem]

Same here. :-)